Tapie leads tributes to coach Goethals

Former Marseille president Bernard Tapie has led the tributes to the late Raymond Goethals by describing him as an “extraordinary man”.

The Belgian coach, who guided the French giants to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles in the early-1990s died on Monday from cancer at the age of 83.

Goethals, nicknamed the "magician" and the "white wizard", was also the mastermind behind Marseille’s Champions League success in 1993, when his side overcame AC Milan in the final to become the only French club to lift the prestigious European trophy.

Tapie, who played a major part in Marseille’s success during the 90s, believes Goethals’ passing is a big loss to football.

“I am unhappy, extremely unhappy,” he said. “He was more than a coach, he was an extraordinary man and knew football by heart.

“He was exceptional at detecting football talents. He was also a fantastic person.”

Marseille’s current captain Fabien Barthez, who played under Goethals during the early stages of his career, admits the former Belgium coach played a huge part in his development as a player.

The France international goalkeeper was a member of the side which secured Champions League glory in 1993 and is grateful to Goethals for providing him with the opportunity.

“I met Raymond in 1992 when I arrived in Marseille, I was 20,” he told L’Equipe. “I used to call him ’coach’ and he would call me ’kid’.

“He was a great person. I worked with him for only one season but thanks to him I became a first-team member with Marseille and, above all, I won the Champions League. I feel very sad he is dead.”

Goethals was also well respected in his own country after winning the Belgian title with Standard Liege in 1982 and 1983.

He had previously led the Belgium national team to the 1970 World Cup finals and also guided them to a third-place finish at the European Championships in 1972.

He then went on to coach at Anderlecht, Bordeaux, Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, and Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo where his team won the championship without losing any of their 19 league matches.

Nice coach Gernot Rohr, who also attributes much of his success in football to Goethals, admits he will be sorely missed throughout the world of football. “This is a sad day,” he said.

“He was a different coach, very passionate and very human. I really enjoyed being under his command because he was experienced, demanding, but creative too.

“He is at the origin of the great times of Bordeaux and I became a coach myself thanks to him. He inspired me, the same way Aime Jacquet did. Raymond was just a great man.”